To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of known fuel door devices, the present invention provides a construction for a fuel door assembly in which one or more different spring members may be coupled to the same assembly to provide for different operational characteristics.
To at least partially overcome other disadvantages of known fuel door devices the present invention provide a novel construction for a fuel door assembly in which a spring member is provided and incorporated as part of the assembly securing engaging the other components assembly to prevent vibration and rattling.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fuel door assembly.
Another object is to provide a fuel door assembly that allows the interchangeable springs for remotely opening doors and manually opening doors using the same door side and body side hinge brackets.
In one aspect the present invention provides an automotive fuel door assembly comprising:
a door side hinge bracket having a bight portion and a pair of spaced parallel side flanges each having a journalling opening therethrough,
a body side hinge bracket having a bight portion and a pair of spaced parallel side flanges each having a journalling opening therethrough,
an elongate axle member extending through the journalling openings of the door side hinge bracket member and the journalling openings of the body side hinge bracket member to couple the door side hinge bracket and the body side hinge bracket together for relative pivoting about the axle member with the side flanges of one, interior of the door side hinge bracket and the body side hinge bracket being disposed along the axle member in between the side flanges of the other, exterior of the door side hinge bracket and the body side hinge bracket,
a first spring member for biasing the door side hinge bracket relative the body side hinge bracket to pivot about the axle member from a closed position toward an open position,
the first spring member comprising a strand of resilient wire,
the first spring member having a pair of helical coils coaxially about the axle member axially spaced from each other by a central tab loop of the wire extending radially from the axle member at an interior end of each coil for engagement with the bight of a first of the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket,
the first spring member having a pair of catch arms each extending radially from the exterior end of each of the coils into engagement with a second of the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket,
the first spring member fixed on the axle member against axial sliding by being compressed or expanded axially on the axle member by engagement of the catch arms with the second of the door side hinge bracket and the body side hinge bracket,
the first spring member fixedly coupled by each catch arms with the second of the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket against pivoting movement of the first spring member about the axle member relative the second of the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket,
the tab loop engaging the bight portion of the first of the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket when the door side hinge bracket and body side hinge bracket are the closed position and in relative pivotal positions from the closed position toward the open position.